NORMAN — By Andrew Knittle
Despite bleeding out millions last year, most of the City of Norman’s employees aren’t participating in the 96-hour-per-year furlough program outlined in the current budget, a city official says.
Finance Director Anthony Francisco said on Wednesday that none of the city unionized workers — including fire, police and non-uniformed employees — are taking furlough days. He said these workers make up about 80 percent of the city’s workforce.
The furlough program, which started in July and amounts to a day a month, was expected to save the city about $2.2 million this fiscal year and it was the single largest cost-cutting measure included in the budget approved by the Norman City Council in June.
So far, the city is more than two months into the new fiscal year (which began July 1) and has saved only about $80,000. Non-unionized workers, including Francisco, City Manager Steve Lewis and all other department heads, represent just 20 percent of the workforce.
Francisco said the city could be in pretty bad shape if the furlough program isn’t observed all year as outlined in the budget.
“If the full year were to go by and union employees don’t take furlough days, it would be a $1.7 million cost to the general fund,” he said.
Last fiscal year, the city’s general fund lost $4.4 million, Francisco said, and “we budgeted another $3.3 million loss for this year.”
“But that was assuming we’d get those savings from the furlough program,” he said. “If the union workers don’t take the furlough days, that number is more like $5 million.”
Henry Baskeyfield, president of the local American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees chapter, said his 300-plus members, including sanitation workers, animal control employees and other non-uniformed staff, aren’t doing furlough days because they weren’t a part of his union’s old contract.
“We have not discussed furloughs with the city ... we’re in the process of getting a new contract,” Baskeyfield said. “On June 30, the day before the new budget went into effect, the city manager nullified our old contract but kept everything in effect, except there are no merit raises.”
Baskeyfield said there has been only one meeting between AFSCME and the city since the new budget was adopted back in June, although another one is scheduled for Monday. He also said his union has 19 unfilled positions “worth about $1 million” when benefits and salary are included.
“That money’s gonna show that it’s spent,” he said.
For now, Baskeyfield said “it’s wait and see” as far as layoffs are concerned, adding that the city has said that come Dec. 18, the 24 workers who were told they would lose their jobs back in April could be back on the chopping block.
“So, they just kind of have to sit and wait it out,” he said.
Calls to representatives of the fire and police unions weren’t returned on Wednesday.
Francisco said the city manager has the power to lay off workers, but that changes to the budget typically aren’t made until January or February. He said city leaders and representatives are “still negotiating with the unions.”
Andrew Knittle 366-3540 aknittle@normantranscript.com
